By Hannah Curran, Editor
TRUSSVILLE — The Trussville City Council amended the fiscal year 2022 budget to account for a Trussville Tree Commission expenditure on Tuesday, April 26, at the regularly scheduled council meeting.
Councilmember Perry Cook explained that the resolution to amend the fiscal year 2022 budget is to account for trees taken down on Rock Ridge Avenue and in the Historic Cahaba Project.
“This is to replant seven maple trees along Rock Ridge and some other areas in the Cahaba Project, and we have a cost right at $3,500 for that,” Cook said. “We wanted to make sure that we recovered that, so this is to replace trees that have been taken down.”
The Council approved a resolution that Trussville elects to use the standard allowance and its presumption of revenue loss due to the public health emergency and to use its full allocation of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds to fund government services incurred after March 3, 2021, and through December 31, 2024, and expended by December 31, 2026.
Choat explained that ARPA came out with a simpler way to file “what you are using the monies for they’re using a $10 million ceiling.”
“That was the average that they said lost revenue during the pandemic for cities around the country,” Choat said. “So we fall well under that, we’re only going to receive about half that much money. So there’s a simpler form to fill out through to report what you spent your money on, and it lumped them all into one category instead of having them individually, whether it be public safety or infrastructure or roads or water. Just fill out one form and tell them how much you spent.”
The Trussville City Council also approved providing matching funds up to $20,00o for the Hewitt-Trussville (HT) Leadership proposed projects.
Several candidates spoke during public comments asking the community for their vote in the May 24 election.
Alisha Ruffin May announced she is running for Circuit Court Judge, Place 20. May currently serves as a Senior Trial Referee in Jefferson County Family Court. Additionally, she has over twenty years of experience as a practicing attorney in Birmingham, representing both plaintiffs and defendants.
According to voteruffinforjudge.com, she states, “her vision is to provide the public with fair service, where the law is applied fairly and accurately to all; swift service, where matters are handled quickly with no unnecessary delays; and courteous service, where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.”
She wants the public to remember, “Vote for May in the month of May.”
Greg Cook announced he is running for a place on the bench for the Alabama Supreme Court.
Cook’s website states, “Over the three decades, Greg established himself as a strong and active member of the Republican Party. In 2000, he served as volunteer attorney for the Bush vs. Gore legal battle in Florida, where Greg helped supervise the hand recounting of the famous hanging-chad ballots. Locally, Greg served on the Jefferson County Republican Steering Committee, Executive Committee, and as Legal Counsel to the Jefferson County GOP. Greg has also served on the Alabama Republican Party for almost 15 years, including the past four years as General Counsel for the Alabama Republican Party.”
Cook describes himself as “boring and predictable,” which he said is good for an Alabama Supreme Court justice.
“You’re not getting somebody that’s going to do on-the-job training, you get somebody who knows what the Alabama Supreme Court does,” Cook said.
Senator Shay Shelnutt is running for re-election to District 17. Shelnutt and Senator Dan Roberts of District 15 will be sharing the Trussville area.
“I wanted two senators,” Shelnutt said. “We did redistricting; they tried to draw him out. I thought it more important for Trussville to have two senators because you get more things done with more representation.”
Roberts said it’s been a privilege to serve alongside Shelnutt, and he also asked for the public’s vote for re-election on May 24.
In other matters, the Council approved:
- Section X. Auditing Accounts;
- Authorize Mayor Choat to Sign a Professional Services Agreement with Skipper Consulting Regarding Traffic Study on Trussville-Clay Road in connection with the proposed Fire Station #4;
- Authorize Mayor Choat to Sign a Professional Service Agreement with Civil Consultants Inc. for general infrastructure engineering services;
- Hire Jonas Wilson as a part-time Parks & Recreation Unclassified Laborer (Grade 7 – Step 1) effective May 7, 2022;
- Hire Chase Armstrong as a seasonal Parks & Recreation Lifeguard (Grade 7 – Step 4) effective May 7, 2022;
- Hire Ethan Wilson as a seasonal Parks & Recreation Lifeguard (Grade 7 – Step 3) effective May 7, 2022;
- Hire Sittre Jones, Abbie Monski, Pierce Miller, Marley Carmichael, and Legion Gaston as seasonal Parks & Recreation Lifeguards (Grade 7 – Step 2) effective May 7, 2022;
- Hire Mary Howell as a seasonal Parks & Recreation Pool Manager (Grade 12 – Step 1) effective May 7, 2022;
- Approve 10% education premium for Police Officer Duncan Hellums, effective May 7, 2022;
- Proclamation Declaring Trussville Freedom Day a Public Event;
- Ordinance to Annex 7432 Roper Road;
- Proclamation Declaring Shrimp Boil a City-Wide Event; and
- Resolution to Declare Portable Parks & Recreation Storage Buildings as Surplus.
Auditing accounts
- Accounts Payable;
- 2022 Economic Development Association of Alabama Summer Conference for Mayor Buddy Choat, July 23-27 at Point Clear. $750 registration fee plus accommodation;
- Association of County Engineers of Alabama conference for City Engineer Wayne Sullivan, May 10-11 in Perdido Beach. $210 registration fee plus accommodations; and
- Alabama Revenue Officers Association training for Senior Revenue Examiner Ashley Oliver, Licensing Clerk Donna Newton & City Clerk Dan Weinrib, Oct 5-7 in Tuscaloosa. $470 registration fees plus accommodations.
The next Council regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 10, beginning at 6 p.m. The council workshop is scheduled for Thursday, May 5, beginning at 5 p.m.